online mindfulness course for teens mindfulness and movies

Movies give us plenty to pay attention to

Throughout the course, young people will learn what mindfulness is and explore simple ways to use it to support their wellbeing. Rather than only sitting quietly or focusing on their breathing, we’ll use movie scenes and filmmaking to practise paying attention, reconnecting with the senses and noticing thoughts and feelings without immediately getting caught up in them.

What happens when you watch a familiar scene with the sound turned off? What can you work out from the soundtrack alone? Where does the camera direct your attention, and how do music, movement and editing affect what you notice?

Across four live sessions, we’ll experiment with different ways of watching and listening. Young people will then use what they discover to plan, record and edit a short movie that helps someone pause and notice an ordinary moment in a new way.

In the final session, there will be an optional screening so everyone can share what they have created and see how differently people can experience the same sights and sounds.

Session 1: Looking and listening with attention
We’ll explore what mindfulness is, how it can support our wellbeing and how movies can help us practise paying attention. Young people will use image, sound and detail to notice more of what they see, hear and sometimes miss when they slow down.

Session 2: Noticing feelings and perspective
We’ll look at everyday mindfulness and how movies can influence what we feel. Young people will explore how images, sound and perspective can help us recognise emotions and why people can experience the same moment differently.

Session 3: Creating a mindful mini-movie
Young people will bring together what they have practised to create a short movie. This might focus on a walk, a soundscape, nature, movement, light, texture or an ordinary moment noticed more carefully. We’ll cover simple filming and editing so they can shape what the viewer sees, hears and notices.

Session 4: Sharing and bringing mindfulness into life
Young people will have the option to share their mini-movies. We’ll explore the different details, moods and perspectives each person captured, reflect on the experience of making them and look at simple ways to continue to be more mindful in everyday life.

Tuesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 September 2026, 11am–12pm
£24 for all four sessions Live online via Zoom

What you will need:

• A device with Zoom for the live sessions
• Access to a phone, tablet or simple recording device between sessions
• A basic video editor, such as the one already included on many phones and tablets
• Paper and a pen or pencil for planning

Young people do not need any experience with mindfulness or filmmaking.

No specialist equipment or paid editing software is needed. Projects can be kept very simple, and help will be given with planning and basic editing.

Filming will take place between sessions. Young people won’t need to film themselves or anyone else and should avoid including private information or identifiable people without permission. Their clips stay on their own device, and sharing the finished movie with the group is completely optional.